INTRODUCTION TO LIFE

SCIENCE
 WHAT IS LIFE?

• LIFE IS A PROCESS THAT TAKES PLACE IN HIGHLY ORGANIZED ORGANIC

STRUCTURES AND IS CHARACTERIZED BY BEING PREPROGRAMMED,
INTERACTIVE, ADAPTATIVE AND EVOLUTIONARY
WHAT CHARACTERISTICS DO
ALL LIVING THING DO ALL
LIVINGS THINGS SHARE?
1. ALL LIVING THINGS HAVE CELLULAR ORGANIZATION.

A CELL IS THE BASIC UNIT OF LIFE

UNICELLULAR IS ALSO KNOWN AS ONE CELL ORGANISM

MULTICELLULAR IS KNOWN TO HAVE MORE THAN ONE

CELL.
 2. ALL CELL ARE COMPOSED OF
CHEMICALS

 WATER- IT IS THE MOST ABUNDANT.

 CARBOHYDRATES- IS FOR ENERGY

 PROTEINS AND LIPIDS- ARE THE BUILDING MATERIALS

 NUCLEIC ACID- IT CONTAINS ALL THE GENETIC

MATERIAL
3. ALL LIVING
THINGS REACTS
TO STIMULI.
• A STIMULUS IS SOMETHING IN
THE ENVIRONMENT THAT
CAUSES A REACTION OR A
RESPONSE.

• A RESPONSE IS AN ACTION OR
CHANGE IN BEHAVIOR
4. LIVING
THINGS GROW
AND DEVELOP
o GROWTH IS THE INCREASE IN
THE SIZE OF AN ORGANISM.

o DEVELOPMENT IS A
PROGRESSIVE CHANGE IN AN
ORGANISM OVER TIME.
5. ALL LIVING THINGS CAN REPRODUCE

• IT IS BELIEVED THAT ALL LIVING THINGS ARISE FROM OTHER

LIVING THINGS.
 SPONTANEOUS
GENERATION

• SPONTANEOUS GENERATION THEORY IS AN

ARCHAIC SCIENTIFIC THEORY WHICH STATED
THAT LIVING ORGANISMS COULD ARISE
FROM NON-LIVING MATTER AND THAT SUCH
A PROCESS WAS REGULAR IN NATURE. IT
ALSO EXPLAINED THE ORIGIN OF LIFE FROM
THE NON-LIVING SUBJECTS.
 6. ALL LIVING THINGS USE ENERGY

 ENERGY IS USED TO NOURISH, REPAIR AND CREATE NEW CELL.

 ENERGY THAT WE GET FROM FOOD THAT WE CONSUME

 7. ALL LIVING THINGS CAN MOVE

• THIS PROCESS IS CALLED LOCOMOTION LIKE FOR EXAMPLE PLANTS

MOVE THEIR BRANCHES AND LEAVES TOWARDS THE SUN.
 8. ALL LIVING THINGS WILL DIE.

• ONE OF THE REALITIES OF LIFE IS THAT ALL LIFE WILL COME TO AN

END. THIS PROCESS IS CALLED EXPIRATION.
WHAT DO ALL LIVING THINGS NEED TO
SURVIVE
• WATER
• FOOD
• LIVING SPACE
• STABLE INTERNAL CONDITIONS (HOMEOSTASIS)
HOW DO
ORGANISM OBTAIN
FOOD FOR
ENERGY?
• AUTOTROPHS- THEY
MAKE THEIR OWN FOOD.

• HETEROTROPHS- OBTAIN
FOOD FROM OTHER
SOURCES.
HERBIVORE

• THEY OBTAIN THEIR FOOD

FROM PLANT TO SUSTAIN
LIFE.
CARNIVORE

• THEY OBTAIN THEIR FOOD

FROM MEAT TO SUSTAIN
LIFE.
OMNIVORE

• THEY OBTAIN THEIR FOOD

FROM MEAT AND PLANTS
TO SUSTAIN LIFE.